Voltage-gated calcium channels provide the calcium influx that couples neuronal action potentials to the release of neurotransmitters contained in synaptic vesicles. The team’s project focuses on the use of molecular probes to elucidate the structure and distribution of calcium channels and the synaptic SNARE proteins (syntaxin I, SNAP-25, synaptobrevin / VAMP2) involved in exocytosis. It invoves dissecting the role of these proteins in neurotransmission and in certain neurological diseases and includes the following projects :
Main Publications :
Ca2+-dependent regulation of synaptic complex assembly via a calmodulin and phospholipid binding domain of synaptobrevin
Quetglas S, Leveque C, Miquelis R, Sato K, Seagar M.
Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci USA 2000, 97 : 9695-9700
Phoneutria nigriventer omega-phonetoxin IIA blocks the Cav2 family of calcium channels and interacts with omega-conotoxin-binding sites
Gouvea dos Santos RG., Van Renterghem C., Martin-Moutot N., Mansuelle P., Cordeiro M., Diniz C.R., Mori Y., De Lima M.E. Seagar M.
J. Biol. Chem., 2002, 277 : 13856-13862
Calmodulin and lipid binding to synaptobrevin regulates calcium-dependent exocytosis
Quetglas S., Iborra C., Sasakawa N., De Haro, L., Kumakura K., Sato K., Leveque C., Seagar M.
EMBO J. 2002, 21 : 3970-3979
Ca2+ / calmodulin transfers the membrane-proximal lipid-binding domain of the v-snare synaptobrevin from cis to trans bilayers
De Haro L, Ferracci G, Opi S, Iborra C, Quetglass S, Miquelis R, Levêque C, Seagar M.
Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci USA 2004,101 : 1578-1583
Phoneutria nigriventer toxin 1 : a novel state-dependent inhibitor of neuronal sodium channels which interacts with ? conotoxin binding sites
Martin-Moutot N, Mansuelle P, Alcaraz G, Gouvêa Dos Santos R, Cordeiro MN, De Lima ME, Seagar M, Van Renterghem C.
Mol Pharmacol. 2006, 69 : 1931-1937